Regional and Bilateral Approaches to Movement of Service Suppliers Michele Klein Solomon Migration Policy, Research and Communications Department of the International Organization for Migration Turin International Symposium on Migration and Development 28-30 June 2006
Introduction Conceptual Gap Mode 4 movement is a subset of a subset of a subset of migration within temporary labour migration The concept of service suppliers is not relevant for migration managers Most temporary labour migration takes place outside the context of negotiated arrangements i.e. unilateral approaches (i.e. entry quotas), irregular movements It is recognized that all would be better off with labour migration that is lawful, and agreed How do we get from here to there? Mode 4 is the only multilateral treaty addressed to facilitating the movement of people, but it is quite limited in its scope and coverage This presentation focuses on others means of managed temporary labour migration.
Regional Agreements Formal and Informal Formal mechanisms of regional integration Free movement of labour initiatives and obligations to cooperate in regional treaties European Union, NAFTA, MERCOSUR Complementary tools for migration management Informal mechanisms of regional cooperation Regional Consultative Processes (RCPs)
Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) Approach labour migration in a variety of ways Some agreements cover mobility of people in general Some address all skill levels and some address only certain skill levels RTAs are primarily about preferential trade and only incidentally about labour migration In most cases, RTAs do not override general migration legislation
Bilateral Labour Agreements (BLAs) Bilateral Labour Agreements formalize commitment Regularize flows, create predictability, address needs and establish the conditions of employment/protect migrants Benefit both countries of origin and countries of destination Facilitate relationships between governments at the departmental, working level
How Regional Trade Agreements can inform Mode 4 RTAs could provide templates for workable multilateral agreements RTAs could provide building blocks for future global trade agreements including Mode 4 Some RTAs create special visa schemes or other types of managed entry Provide examples of what countries seeking market access can offer (e.g. commitment to verify qualifications, identity and criminal records of potential service providers)
Bilateral Labour Agreements - Perspectives Destination Country Perspective Meet labour demand immediately and enhance regional integration Reduce irregular migration Strengthen ties between countries with historical linkage Country of Origin Perspective Provide increased access to foreign labour markets Complement poverty reduction and national development goals Provide basis for sustained remittances Reintegration assistance for returnees
What Can be Learned from Bilateral Agreements? BLAs are more flexible than binding multilateral commitments and therefore often more attractive to migration managers Can provide examples of how to manage migration of temporary workers BLAs often employ measures to guarantee return BLAs establish obligations for the country of origin as well as the country of destination BLAs can facilitate the protection of migrant workers through measures taken by countries of origin and destination
Lessons from Regional and Bilateral Agreements Regional variance precludes broad based conclusions Countries seem to prefer bilateral and regional approaches to preserve flexibility Even BLAs and RTAs may accomplish less than contemplated Most labour flows still occur outside BLA and RTA frameworks RTAs and BLAs cannot simply be expanded into global agreements